Installing Apple's Network Link Conditioner Tool

Question

I have installed xcode 4.3.1 on my machine running Lion.

I can't find the Network Link Conditioner tool anywhere.

I have checked the utilities folder, also the xcode/contents/developer/* directories.. no such luck.

Do I need to install specific components or has this tool been removed or renamed recently?

Gracie

how to use it in mac neglectedpotential.com/2012/05/slow-your-apps-roll on ios 6+ neglectedpotential.com/2012/09/ios6-network-link-conditioner – Ignoble

Sorry to see the "please delete me" as you're about to get a Great Question badge: stackoverflow.com/help/badges/22/great-question – Pekan

now it is called "Hardware IO tools" – Reality

the tools can now be found ("Hardware IO tools") here: developer.apple.com/download/more – Dominik

This link gives proper explanation of your question. nshipster.com/network-link-conditioner – Mandel

Here: developer.apple.com/download/more/?q=Additional%20Tools – Dodecahedron

Answer 1

It's in an additional download. Use this menu item:

Xcode > Open Developer Tool > More Developer Tools...

and get "Hardware IO Tools for Xcode".

For Xcode 8+, get "Additional Tools for Xcode [version]".

Double-click on a .prefPane file to install. If you already have an older .prefPane installed, you'll need to remove it from /Library/PreferencePanes.

Melancholic

Just double-click the Network Link Conditioner.prefpane and OS X will install it for you. (System Preferences will pop up and ask you about it.) – Melancholic

I mean, what is the standard place to install it on disk now that /Developer is no more? – Cimmerian

As far as I know, preference panes never went in /Developer. (If you know differently, or if you're referring to something else, could you explain?) They are found in /System/Library/PreferencePanes, /Library/PreferencePanes, or ~/Library/PreferencePanes. If you double-click the prefpane, System Preferences will install it for you in one of the latter two places. – Melancholic

Everything worked except when trying to turn on the network link conditioner. In this case the window disappears and there is not throttling of the internet speed. Looking through the internet for this problem I found not solution. There were suggestions to add the files : /system/library/launchdaemons/com.apple.networklinkconditioner.plist /usr/libexec/nlcd but where shall i find those files. Is there a simple solution to this problem? – Epagoge

@Epagoge I've copied them from another Mac OS X Lion machine which had Xcode installed. But I could find them only on a machine that came with a fresh installation of Lion. – Butyraceous

Answer is correct, but the tool is completely broken - literally has zero effect on Mountain Lion (despite Apple's install notes saying this works on ML ). Thanks, Apple! – Semilunar

@Semilunar The Late July 2012 version worked for me on Montain Lion (the older ones did not). – Attested

Actually it does not crash the PrefPane anymore but still does nothing. – Attested

I just tried both the Late July 2012 and the latest 2013 version and neither has any effect at all. – Qulllon

Latest update works on Mavericks: #19100818 – Wine

Just to clarify @KurtRevis's comment: Search for "Network Link Conditioner.prefPane" in spotlight, and select it. System Prefs will open and ask you if you want to install it. – Klarrisa

Answer 2

You can also install any of the Hardware IO Tools without installing XCode itself. Simply visit Apple's Download Center and search for "Hardware IO".

Elijaheliminate

BTW I've managed to get this installed on Snow Leopard by going to the Download Center directly. Thanks! -- Oh sorry. Maybe it doesn't work on Snow Leopard afterall. Though I could install and run it, but when I turned it on, it crashed. – Boracic

adcdownload.apple.com/Developer_Tools/… – Mikamikado

@Elijaheliminate that link does not work. slott, that is version-specific. – Stuckey

Answer 3

Update on the answer December 2019 Xcode 11.1.2

Apple has moved Network Link Conditioner Tool to additional tools for Xcode

Go to the below link

https://developer.apple.com/download/more/?q=Additional%20Tools

Install the dmg file, select hardware from installer

select Network Link conditioner prefpane

Jacklyn

The page you’re looking for can’t be found. – Antechoir

Its still there pl check once more . Network Link conditioner is included along with "Additional tools for Xcode" – Jacklyn

Answer 4

The tools can now be found ("Hardware IO tools") here: https://developer.apple.com/download/more/

Dominik

Excellent answer - I really didn't want to install Xcode since I don't do native iOS or Mac development. This was the only answer I've found that lets me install Network Link Conditioner without a multi-gigabyte download of Xcode. – Skipbomb

Answer 5

For Xcode 8 you gotta download a package named Additional Tools for Xcode 8

For other versions (8.1, 8.2) get the package here

Double click and open the dmg and go to Hardware directory. Double click on Network Link Conditioner.prefPane.

Click on install

Now Network Link Conditioner will be available in System Preferences.

For versions older than Xcode 8, the package to be downloaded is called Hardware IO Tools for Xcode. Get it from this page

Springhouse

Answer 6

1. Remove "Network Link Conditioner", open "System Preferences", press CTRL and click the "Network Link Conditioner" icon. Select "Remove".
2. Restart your computer
3. Download the dmg "Hardware IO tools" for your XCode version from https://developer.apple.com/download/, you need to be logged in to do this.
4. Open it and install "Network Link Conditioner"
5. Restart your computer one last time.

Fiann

This helped a ton. I had no idea it installed into System Preferences. Now I can finally open it after initially installing it before rebooting my machine. – Saldivar

Answer 7

Now accessible directly inside Xcode 14, no need to add any tools for that.

Pryce

Seems interesting. Does it work in iOS app on the simulator? – Berberidaceous

On device. For simulator, still need preference pane. – Quadrangle